Method of Regulating Power Consumption by Electronic Equipment Containing Integral Rechargeable Backup Batteries and Used in Systems Where the Equipment Operates from a Vehicle Engine Battery and the Like, and Improved Apparatus Therefor

1. In a vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery aid provided also with engine operational information (and where desired positional information) communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communications equipment having backup batteries, a method of enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main equipment battery while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, that comprises, charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; monitoring the charge state of the backup batten during periods of non-operating of the engine and of continued power demands upon the backup battery by the communication equipment; and, upon the monitored reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; and repeating said monitoring and further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational power demands of the communication equipment, wherein said predetermined level of discharge corresponds to a drop in the backup battery voltage below a predetermined voltage or the running average of voltage drops below a second predetermined voltage, and wherein when the monitoring indicates that the backup battery voltage has increased above a third predetermined voltage indicating that the charge current has dropped below a charger current limit, the further charging being continued for a further minimum predetermined period of time based upon earlier experimental determination of the additional time required to achieve full charge.

2. In a vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with engine operational information (and where desired positional information) communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communications equipment having backup batteries, a method of enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main equipment battery while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, that comprises, charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; monitoring the charge state of the backup battery during periods of non-operating of the engine and of continued power demands upon the backup battery by the communication equipment, and, upon the monitored reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; and repeating said monitoring and further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational power demands of the communication equipment, wherein the input current to the backup battery during its charging is sensed, and when the input current is sensed to drop below a predetermined level indicative that the backup battery is fully charged, further charging of the backup battery is terminated.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the further charging during the continued non-operating of the engine is maintained for a limited time based upon earlier experimental determination of the minimum percentage of time required to ensure the full charge of the backup battery in the event of a worst case current consumption by the communication equipment while the engine was non-operating for extended periods of time.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said predetermined level of discharge corresponds to a drop in the backup battery voltage below a predetermined voltage or the running average of voltage drops below a second predetermined voltage.

5. In a vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with engine operational information (and where desired positional information) communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communications equipment having backup batteries, a method of enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main equipment battery while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, that comprises, charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; monitoring the charge state of the backup battery during periods of non-operating of the engine and of continued power demands upon the backup battery by the communication equipment; and, upon the monitored reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; and repeating said monitoring and further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational power demands of the communication equipment, wherein the charging current into the backup battery is monitored, and when the charge current drops below the predetermined level indicative of full charge while the voltage output of the backup battery remains above a predetermined voltage below which the charging is in current limit, thereupon terminating the charging.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the charging termination is maintained for a further period of time calculated to ensure that, under worst case conditions, the backup battery will not be discharged below a minimum desired capacity, at which time the further backup battery charging is resumed.

7. In a vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with engine operational information (and where desired positional information) communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communications equipment having backup batteries, a method of enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main equipment battery while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, that comprises, charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; monitoring the charge state of the backup battery during periods of non-operating of the engine and of continued power demands upon the backup battery by the communication equipment; and, upon the monitored reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; and repeating said monitoring and further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational power demands of the communication equipment, wherein the charging current into and out of the backup battery are both monitored while the engine is non-operating, and when such monitoring determines that the backup battery voltage has dropped below a predetermined voltage relative to the existing discharge current, the further charging of the backup battery is re-enabled.

8. In a vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with engine operational information (and where desired positional information) communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communications equipment having backup batteries, a method of enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main equipment battery while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, that comprises, charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; fully charging the backup battery from the main battery: monitoring the charge state of the backup battery during periods of non-operating of the engine and of continued power demands upon the backup battery by the communication equipment; and, upon the monitored reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; and repeating said monitoring and further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational power demands of the communication equipment, wherein when the monitored backup battery charge current drops below a predetermined level indicative of the backup battery reaching full charge and without the start of the discharge current, the further backup battery charging is again terminated.

9. In a vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with engine operational information (and where desired positional information) communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communications equipment having backup batteries, a method of enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main equipment battery while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, that comprises, charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; monitoring the charge state of the backup battery during periods of non-operating of the engine and of continued power demands upon the backup battery by the communication equipment; and, upon the monitored reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging and repeating said monitoring and further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational power demands of the communication equipment wherein the backup battery is discharged from its own battery charger, and which is connected or disconnected to or from the main battery under the control of the monitoring.

10. A vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with vehicle positional and/or engine operational information-communication electronic radio transponder/transceiver communication equipment having backup batteries, apparatus for enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main battery, while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, said apparatus having, in combination, an engine-power charging circuit for charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; a backup battery charging circuit connectable to and disconnectable from the main battery charging circuit for fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; a monitor and control circuit for monitoring the charge state of the backup battery of the transponder/transceiver and during the operation of the same during periods of non-operating of the engine; upon the reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, said circuit controlling the connecting of the main and backup battery charging circuits for further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; the monitor and control circuit enabling the repeating of said monitoring further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational demands of the communication equipment and wherein said predetermined level of discharge corresponds to a drop in the backup battery voltage below a predetermined voltage or a running average of voltage drops below a second predetermined voltage.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the further charging is maintained during the non-operating of the engine for a limited time based upon earlier experimental determination of the minimum percentage of time required to ensure full charge of the backup battery in the event of a worst case current consumption by the communication equipment while the engine was non-operating for extended time periods.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein when the monitor indicates that the backup battery voltage has increased above a third predetermined voltage indicating that the charge current has dropped below a charger current limit, the further charging is continued for a further minimum predetermined period of time based on earlier experimental determination of the additional time required to achieve full charge.

13. A vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with vehicle positional and/or engine operational information-communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communication equipment having backup batteries, apparatus for enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main battery, while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, said apparatus having, in combination, an engine-power charging circuit for charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; a backup battery charging circuit connectable to and disconnectable from the main battery charging circuit for fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; a monitor and control circuit for monitoring the charge state of the backup battery of the transponder/transceiver and during the operation of the same during periods of non-operating of the engine; upon the reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, said circuit controlling the connecting of the main and backup battery charging circuits for further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; the monitor and control circuit enabling the repeating of said monitoring further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational demands of the communication equipment, and wherein a sensor is provided for sensing the input current to the backup battery during its charging, and when such senses that the input current drops below a predetermined level indicative of the backup battery being fully charged, said further charging of the backup battery is terminated.

14. A vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with vehicle positional and/or engine operational information-communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communication equipment having backup batteries, apparatus for enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main battery, while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, said apparatus having, in combination, an engine-power charging circuit for charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; a backup battery charging circuit connectable to and disconnectable from the main battery charging circuit for fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; a monitor and control circuit for monitoring the charge state of the backup battery of the transponder/transceiver and during the operation of the same during periods of non-operating of the engine; upon the reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, said circuit controlling the connecting of the main and backup battery charging circuits for further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; the monitor and control circuit enabling the repeating of said monitoring further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational demands of the communication equipment, wherein the monitor circuit also monitors charging current into the backup battery, and when the charge current drops below the predetermined level indicative of full charge while the voltage output of the backup battery remains above a predetermined voltage below which the charging is in current limit, terminating the charging.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the charging termination is maintained for a further period of time calculated to ensure that, under worst case conditions, the backup battery will not be discharged below a minimum desired capacity, at which time re-instituting of the backup battery charging is resumed.

16. A vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with vehicle positional and/or engine operational information-communication electronic radio transponder/transceiver communication equipment having backup batteries, apparatus for enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main battery, while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, said apparatus having, in combination, an engine-power charging circuit for charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; a backup battery charging circuit connectable to and disconnectable from the main battery charging circuit for fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; a monitor and control circuit for monitoring the charge state of the backup battery of the transponder/transceiver and during the operation of the said during periods of non-operating of the engine; upon the reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, said circuit controlling the connecting of the main and backup battery charging circuits for further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; the monitor and control circuit enabling the repeating of said monitoring further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational demands of the communication equipment, and wherein a sensor is provided for sensing the charging current into and out of the backup battery and both are monitored by the monitor circuit while the engine is non-operating; and when such monitoring determines that the backup battery voltage has dropped below a predetermined voltage relative to the existing discharge current, the re-instituting of the further charging of the backup battery is re-enabled.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein when the monitored backup battery charge current drops below a predetermined level indicative of the backup battery reaching full charge and without the start of the discharge current, the further backup battery charging is again terminated.

18. A vehicular engine equipment system provided with an engine-chargeable main battery and provided also with vehicle positional and/or engine operational information-communicating electronic radio transponder/transceiver communication equipment having backup batteries, apparatus for enabling the efficient charging of such backup batteries from the main battery, while regulating the power consumption by the communication equipment, said apparatus having, in combination, an engine-power charging circuit for charging the main battery from the engine during the operating of the engine; a backup battery charging circuit connectable to and disconnectable from the main battery charging circuit for fully charging the backup battery from the main battery; a monitor and control circuit for monitoring the charge state of the backup battery of the transponder/transceiver and during the operation of the same during periods of non-operating of the engine; upon the reaching of a predetermined level of discharge of the backup battery, said circuit controlling the connecting of the main and backup battery charging circuits for further charging the backup battery from the main battery back to full charge and thereupon terminating such further charging; the monitor and control circuit enabling the repeating of said monitoring further charging and terminating as needed during the continued non-operating of the engine and the continued operational demands of the communication equipment, and wherein the backup battery is charged from its own battery charger, which is connected to or disconnected from the main battery under the control of the monitor.